The Green Azores

Donald Speakman - The Herald Sun

When Joaquin Miller wrote his famous poem depicting the voyage of Columbus venturing into unknown seas, he began with the line, "Behind him lay the gray Azores."

Obviously, and with all due respect to this distinguished poet, he never set eyes or foot on this beautiful chain of islands sparkling like so many jewels rising out of the midAtlantic. To a first-time visitor, the one descriptive adjective that least applies to the Azores is the word gray. The word is green Senhor Miller, that's GR-E-E-N! Everywhere you look there is a proliferation of lush green foliage; a verdant setting that serves to contrast and enhance the beauty of the flowers and shrubbery that grow in a wild profusion of light and color right down to where the land meets the sea.

Warmed by the gentle currents of the Gulf Stream, the Azores maintain a comfortable climate the year round. Temperatures range from a mild 57 degrees F in winter to a delightful 71 degrees F in summer. This narrow range of temperature fosters a luxuriant growth of the most exotic flowers: rhododendron, hydrangeas, azaleas, camellias and roses all flourish in this moderate climate.

Portuguese navigators discovered the islands early in the 15th century and, noting the abundance of hawks circling the islands, named them the "Azores." For five centuries, the population has remained relatively constant, at roughly 240,000 inhabitants. Mass tourism is unknown and the pristine natural beauty of the islands has remained free from contamination and pollution all of which makes a visit here a traveler's delight and one of the best kept secrets of modern tourism.

The inhabitants of the Azores Is lands are a charming and gracious people that delight in their role of playing host to the relatively few visitors that happen to make their way to this fascinating archipelago. There is an excellent word in the Portuguese language that typifies their type of demeanor, it is called "simpatico." Their ready smiles, engaging humor and complete honesty is a welcome and refreshing respite from the boorish behavior and crass commercialism that characterizes so many of the more frequented tourist areas.

Nine enchanting volcanic islands make up the Azorean archipelago, all having their own unique attributes. San Miguel, by far the largest of the group, abounds in mystical legends of ancient kings and lost cities. The island is composed of two volcanic massifs separated by a central ridge. The highest point, called Pico da Vara with an altitude of 3,500 feet, is situated on the eastern massif. The large craters of Sete Cidades, Fogo and Fumas contain wonderful lakes of crystal clear water. Exciting scenery offers enrapturing vistas of rolling hills, isolated sandy beaches and broad seascapes.

City of Ponta Delgada

As our plane dips low making its landing approach to Ponta Delgada airport, the full breadth and beauty of San Miguel island comes into sharp focus. Whitewashed houses with red tiled roofs sparkle in the morning sunlight, giving way to distant rolling green hills crowned by fleecy white clouds.

The picturesque waterfront with its broad esplanade is partly encompassed by a crescent-shaped jetty forming an arc jutting outward into the sea like some benevolent and protective arm sheltering the harbor. San Miguel is reputed to be the most beautiful island of the Azorean archipelago. Ponta Delgada, its principal city, also serves as the provision capital of the island chain, and accommodates the -largest portion of the Azorean population. It is a city of exquisite charm, retaining much of its Old World allure while modernizing to provide the ultimate in comfort and service.

Rising from a simple fishing village in the 16th century, this charming Old World city grew to become the main port and economic center of the Azores. Its numerous ancient churches and palaces contain splendid examples of Baroque and Late Renaissance architecture spanning a period of 400 years. Like most other neighboring islands, the waterfront of Ponta Delgada is dominated by the frowning edifice of an antiquated fortification. Fort Sao Bras constructed in 1552 was designed to protect the harbor from marauding corsairs in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The visitor strolls through quaint narrow winding streets where sidewalks, on even the most menial of streets, are paved with tiny blocks of black and white basalt, arranged to form geometric patterns.

Senhor Santo Cristo

Our arrival coincides with the beginning of the Senhor Santo Cristo Festivities. As an island people, isolated from the rest of Europe, exposed to sudden volcanic action and violent earthquakes, it's only natural that Azoreans harbor deep religious convictions and a devout belief in miracles. Their spiritual dedication and veneration takes form each year in a festival that is the greatest and most magnificent outpouring of devotion to take place not only in the Azores but in all of Portugal as well. The event occurs on the Island of San Miguel and begins during the sixth week following Easter, climaxing in a spectacular procession as tens of thousands of pious worshipers follow in awed reverence the figure of Santo Cristo dos Milagres (Lord Holy Christ of Miracles).

During the weeks prior to the procession there is a plethora of activity mounting to a fever pitch in the final few days. The Convento da Esperança (Convent of Hope), where the life-sized figure of Senhor Santo Cristo is housed during the rest of the year, becomes decorated with thousands of multicolored lights and garlands of fresh flowers. Fronting the church is the 5th of October Square, commemorating the 17th century overthrow of the Portuguese monarchy. This is similarly decorated and illuminated. Flowers form archways, fresh coast of paint are applied to all exposed surfaces and overall there is a dazzling atmosphere of excitement and anticipation.

We were held spellbound by a scene evoking extreme poignancy that occurred on the three days prior to the culmination of the festival. Thousands of devotees mostly women, literally walked on bare knees over the cobble-stoned streets around the perimeter of the 5th of October Square and up the steps into the chapel. This had to be a distance of almost a mile and these people were not crawling on hands and knees but poised upright using only their bare knees as a means of locomotion. We were told that this ritual was performed out of gratitude for some special blessing or miracle.

The festival lasts for several days before the final ceremony displaying the exalted figure of the Senhor. The statue dates from the 16th century, a special gift from the Vatican. The Reliquary, placed on the breast of the figure, is the Holy Wood believed to be a splinter of the actual crucifix upon which Jesus was crucified. The pageantry follows a tradition carried on since the year 1700 when the first public procession took place. All traffic on the proposed route ceases for two days as miles of streets are carpeted with fresh flowers placed on a bed of green cedar clippings. Azaleas, hydrangeas, roses camellias and lilies are arranged to form intricate designs of religious significance.

On Sunday the saintly figure wearing an expression of deep sorrow and compassion is carried through the streets seated on a throne of beautiful silk and cloth flowers woven in the 18th century. The throne is poised on a huge flower-covered platform carried by 12 honorary members of the parish. On this final Sunday, the procession encompasses tens of thousands of devotees, priests and seminarians winding through flower-carpeted streets. Crowds that have been standing patiently for hours press tightly together to obtain a glimpse of this holy image. Many carry candles and religious objects to be blessed by the passing figure. Overhead, on balconies strewn with flowers and richly woven fabrics, people are jammed together to view the passing pageantry. After hours of circulating the streets, night falls and the great procession returns to the illuminated square. Here the benevolent figure of the Suffering Christ is returned to its special chapel until the following year.

Later, as people wandered homeward through shreds of tattered blossoms, the aroma of pine and scent of fresh flowers still lingers in the night air.

Ancestral roots

Despite the beauty and charm of Ponta Delgada, my wife and I were eager to rent a car and explore the rest of San Miguel. Even though this is the largest island of the archipelago, it is relatively small, comprising only 400 square miles. My wife's father spent his boyhood growing up in one of the remote villages that dot the rug ged coastline. We have little to go on in our quest to find his village other than a birth certificate made almost indistinguishable by the ravages of time. We visit the archives section of the public library to pore over ancient documents of births and deaths in search of my wife's ancestral roots. After many hours of scrutinizing musty volumes with dog-eared pages, and lots of help from enthusiastic researchers, our efforts are finally rewarded by the discovery of the death certificate of my wife's paternal grand-father and the name of his village. It is an outlying hamlet, called Lomba do Cavaleiro, on the south-east end of the island about 40 miles from Ponta Delgada.

Leaving Ponta Delgada, we take the airport road that winds through the countryside and head northwest toward the village of Sete Cidades. The road is lined with hedges of pink azaleas now in full bloom during the months of April and May. The air is filled with the heady scent of flowers and freshly turned earth.

We stop at Vista do Rei where there is a marvelous overlook of a volcanic crater having a perimeter of roughly 8 miles. Far below, framed by steep cliffs, twin volcanic lagoons, one a deep blue sapphire and the other an emerald treasure, serve to sustain the folk tale of two star-crossed lovers doomed to an unrequited love. It is here, according to legend, that the two lovers, one a princess and the other a humble shepherd, on learning of the king's condemnation of their intended nuptials, cried in each other's arms until the tears from the maiden's blue eyes formed the Lagoa Azul (Blue herd's green eyes formed the Lagoa Verde (Green Lake).

Turning south, we found a tortuous route toward our ultimate destination, the village of Lomba do Cavaleiro. Although the road is paved with blacktop, the numerous twists, turns and switchbacks, compel the driver to be constantly on the alert and speeds of over 30 miles per hour are rarely attainable. The hazards of driving notwithstanding, the route is recent with its broad vistas of panorarnic ocean scenes, deep nestled valleys and rugged mountainous terrain.

Our route takes us through the town of Fumas, made famous by its beautiful lake, the Lagoa dos Fumas. The shoreline is pockmarked with myriads of fumaroles boiling and bubbling up from the earth's interior: a grim reminder of the seething volcanic activity just below the surface. At the Hotel Terra Nostra in Furnas, one can bathe in the warm sulphur springs and get medicinal mud baths and massages at one of the spas.

Now at long last we have arrived at the end of our journey- a trip that began in Bahama, N.C., and terminated at the remote village of Lomba do Cavaleiro, a distance of some 4,000 miles. It is here that we managed to locate one of my wife's distant cousins, whom she had never met. Communication with her was possible only through an interpreter, but through her we were able to learn that the village has changed little since the turn of the century and she offered to guide us to the spot my wife's grandfather was buried. We wandered over craggy terrain, viewing a landscape of incredible beauty, taking in the sights that her father must have seen when as a youth he tilled the fertile volcanic soil. Finally we climb to the top of a lofty ridge, where stands the 16th century church of Santa Barbara, the oldest church on the island of San Miguel. It is here in the ancient burial ground that we find the gravesite and the end of our quest.

A visit to the Azorean archipelago is a memorable experience and highly recomrnended for the tourist seeking a change of pace. In this tranquil and relaxed setting, one can find in each of the nine islands something special to appeal to even the most discriminating adventurer. And best and most important of all, it will be serviced by polite, cheerful and considerate Azoreans, a people that are truly simpatico.

Donald Speakman is a free-lance writer who lives in Bahama